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Why Uhuru could determine fate of serial killer Onyancha

By SAM KIPLAGAT December 20th, 2017 2 min read

The High Court has been urged to find self-confessed serial killer Philip Onyancha guilty of murder, but insane.

Making his submissions before Justice James Wakiaga on Tuesday, senior assistant deputy public prosecutor Moses Omirera urged the court to make the special finding and order that Onyancha be jailed at the “pleasure of the President”.

According to the prosecutor, Onyancha is a dangerous person but needs help.

Should he be released, Mr Omirera added, he is likely to commit similar offences, mostly targeting women.

Mr Omirera told the court that there were three psychiatric examination reports filed in court and one of them, by Dr Owiti, noted that Onyancha is likely to commit similar offences, hence dangerous.

MENTAL PROBLEM

The first report on Onyancha was first conducted at the time of his arrest. The report found that he was fit to stand trial.

But when he appeared in court for the first time in June 2010, his then lawyer Peter Simani informed the judge that Onyancha had a mental problem and needs to be re-examined.

A panel of three doctors conducted further examinations and found that he had a mental problem. They further added that the report was not conclusive.

The parties called for a third report which found Onyancha to be dangerous because he was likely to commit the offence again.

In his submissions on Tuesday, Mr Omirera urged the court to disregard the statement given by Onyancha who had confessed to killing 19 women and children.

He has been charged with three murder counts together with Tobias Nyabuhanga Aradi and Douglas Obiero Makori. They denied that on April 14, 2014 in Dagoretti, Nairobi, they killed Anthony Njirwa Muiruri, 9.

Mr Omirera said Onyancha himself confessed that he killed the boy and even led the police to the scene where decomposing body of the boy was found after he disappeared for a week.

The court will give the judgment on February 15.